The new Italian government has decided to sell around 151 non-essential executive cars used by government officials, the so-called “Auto Blu”, in an online auction on eBay. The first 25 vehicles have already been uploaded on the auction website, with all cars belonging to the Interior Ministry.
The initiative belongs to Italy’s new Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who says the official vehicles have come to be seen as a symbol of wasteful government spending. In fact, there is no official census of government cars in Italy, which means their exact number is unknown.
The cars advertised on eBay are only a small part of the approximately 1,500 vehicles the government plans to sell.
Bidding on the vehicles is open until April 16, and there appears to be no shortage of offers. Of the 151 cars that will be sold in the first phase, the list is dominated by the BMW 5-Series (48 vehicles), Lancia Thesis (31), Alfa Romeo 166 (18) and Alfa Romeo 159 (14).
However, there are also more luxurious vehicles like the Maserati Quattroporte (8 units, all owned by the Ministry of Defense), VW Phaeton (3, Ministry of Justice) and Jaguar XF (1, Ministry of Justice). The Ministry of Justice is also selling a Jaguar S-Type R if you’re interested.
Some argue that the 1,500 cars that will be sold are a drop in the ocean, as Italy has 59,000 government vehicles spread across the country, with another 1,663 units in use by the central administration in Rome.
By Dan Mihalascu
Story References: La Repubblica
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